25 After-School Activities for Kids Who Don’t Like Sports

Last updated: October 17, 2026 · By Joel Kuznetsky

Not every kid wants to spend Tuesday afternoon at soccer practice.

Some kids would rather build a robot. Or paint. Or learn guitar. Or cook something. Or spend an hour trying to figure out why moving a pawn instead of a knight just ruined their chess game.

And that’s completely fine.

Sports are such a big part of childhood that it can sometimes feel like the default answer when parents start looking for an after-school activity. Soccer, baseball, basketball, gymnastics and martial arts are everywhere.

But a child doesn’t have to be athletic to find an activity they love.

Los Angeles has an enormous range of after-school options for kids whose interests lean toward art, technology, music, performance, animals, building things, strategy or simply making stuff with their hands.

If your child hasn’t connected with traditional sports, here are 25 things worth trying.

Before You Sign Them Up for Anything

There’s a temptation to approach activities like another part of your child’s education.

What will they learn?

Will this help them academically?

Is coding better than art?

Should they be playing chess?

Will piano help with math?

Those aren’t unreasonable questions, but they can distract from a simpler one:

Does my kid actually want to do this?

After spending six or seven hours at school, children don’t necessarily need another activity that feels like school.

Sometimes the best after-school activity is simply the one they look forward to.

For a child who hasn’t found “their thing” yet, we’d favor shorter sessions, trial classes and month-to-month programs before making a large commitment. Let them experiment.

You may be surprised by what sticks.

1. Chess

Chess is one of our favorite alternatives to traditional sports because it still gives kids many of the things parents like about sports: competition, strategy, practice, winning, losing and learning how to recover from mistakes.

It’s also incredibly easy to continue at home.

A beginner doesn’t need to memorize openings or become a tournament player. They just need someone who can teach the game in a way that makes it fun.

Younger children may do especially well with programs that use games and stories rather than treating chess like an academic subject.

Los Angeles has plenty of options. Story Time Chess offers school, community and private programs around LA, while the Academy of Music and Fine Arts in Burbank offers group chess at beginner, intermediate and advanced levels.

• Could be a great fit if your child: likes puzzles, board games, strategy or figuring things out.
• Explore:
• https://www.storytimechess.com/locations/ca/los-angeles
• https://academyofmusicandfinearts.com/

2. Robotics

For the kid who takes things apart just to see what’s inside, robotics deserves a serious look.

Good robotics classes aren’t kids sitting in front of computers watching someone explain technology. They’re building, testing, programming, failing, changing something and trying again.

That’s what makes robotics so engaging.

Depending on the program and age, children might build simple machines, program robots through obstacle courses, work with sensors or eventually participate in robotics competitions.

In the San Fernando Valley, CodeFu offers hands-on coding and robotics programs for elementary-age students at schools throughout communities including Encino, Woodland Hills, Northridge, Chatsworth, Van Nuys and surrounding areas.

• Could be a great fit if your child: loves LEGO, building, machines, technology or understanding how things work.
• Explore:
• https://codefusfv.com/

3. Art Classes

Art is a particularly good after-school activity for kids who need some breathing room after school.

They’ve spent much of the day following instructions. An art studio can give them an opportunity to make choices instead.

Drawing and painting are only the beginning. Depending on the studio, kids might experiment with watercolor, acrylics, pastels, sculpture, mixed media, anime, photography or other forms of visual art.

The Canoga Park Youth Arts Center is an especially interesting Valley resource. Its programs for ages 6 to 17 have included ceramics, sculpture, painting, photography, filmmaking, Japanese anime, music production and other creative subjects.

• Could be a great fit if your child: is always drawing, creating characters, making crafts or filling the margins of their homework with doodles.
• Explore:
• https://www.canogaparkyouthartscenter.com/

4. Cooking

Cooking has one major advantage over a lot of kids’ activities:

They get to eat the project.

Kids’ cooking classes can introduce basic kitchen skills, measuring, following recipes, food safety and new ingredients without making the experience feel like another lesson.

There’s also a nice confidence boost that comes from being able to make something the whole family can actually eat.

Some after-school programs incorporate cooking alongside other enrichment activities. The Boys & Girls Club of San Fernando Valley, for example, includes cooking among the activities available to members.

• Could be a great fit if your child: constantly asks to help with dinner, watches cooking shows or loves experimenting with food.

5. Coding

Coding and robotics overlap, but they aren’t the same thing.

A kid who isn’t particularly interested in building a robot may still become completely absorbed in creating a video game.

Beginner coding programs can involve Scratch, game design, animation, websites and other projects that give children an immediate reason to understand what their code is doing.

The important distinction is between creating with technology and simply consuming it.

If your child already loves computers, coding can turn some of that screen interest into something productive.

CodeFu’s current Valley programs include Scratch game design, Python, Minecraft-related projects, website design and other technology courses.

• Could be a great fit if your child: loves computers, Minecraft, games, problem-solving or creating things digitally.
• Explore:
• https://codefusfv.com/

6. Theater

Some children seem to become a different person when you put them on a stage.

Theater gives kids an unusual combination of creativity and structure. They have lines to learn, cues to remember and other cast members depending on them, but they also get to be ridiculous, dramatic and imaginative.

And a child doesn’t need to dream about becoming an actor to benefit from it.

Village Arts Theatre in Valley Village offers performing arts programs for elementary and middle-school students, including Broadway-style theatrical productions and youth training.

• Could be a great fit if your child: loves pretending, telling stories, making people laugh, singing around the house or being the center of attention.
• Explore:
• https://villageartstheatre.org/

7. Music Lessons

There’s no single “music kid.”

One child may love piano. Another wants an electric guitar. Another wants drums because apparently your house has been too quiet.

The trick is finding the instrument that actually interests them.

Private lessons provide focused instruction, while group classes and youth bands add a social element that some children need to stay interested.

The Academy of Music and Fine Arts in Burbank offers instruction in piano, keyboard, violin, guitar, drums and voice.

• Could be a great fit if your child: is constantly singing, tapping rhythms, noticing songs or asking to play an instrument.
• Explore:
• https://academyofmusicandfinearts.com/

8. Ceramics and Pottery

There’s something satisfying about making an actual object.

Ceramics gives kids a break from screens and introduces them to a creative process where mistakes often become part of the finished piece.

Depending on the class, kids may work with hand-building techniques, sculpture, glazing or a pottery wheel.

It’s messy.

That’s part of the appeal.

The Canoga Park Youth Arts Center is one local place to check for youth ceramics and sculpture programming.

• Could be a great fit if your child: likes Play-Doh, clay, sculpture, crafts or working with their hands.

9. Stop-Motion Animation

This is one parents may not immediately think about.

Kids can build characters and sets, photograph tiny movements frame by frame and eventually watch those images become a movie.

It combines storytelling, art, photography, technology and patience in one project.

And unlike passively watching videos, they’re creating the thing on the screen.

Some current CodeFu enrichment programs include stop-motion animation alongside coding and other digital-creation classes.

• Could be a great fit if your child: loves LEGO, movies, storytelling, drawing or making videos.

10. Filmmaking

This one feels particularly appropriate for kids growing up in Los Angeles.

Filmmaking can introduce children to writing, directing, acting, cameras, editing, sound and visual storytelling.

Some kids want to be in front of the camera.

Others discover they would much rather be behind it.

The Canoga Park Youth Arts Center has offered filmmaking as part of its youth arts programming.

• Could be a great fit if your child: makes videos, writes stories, loves movies or constantly wants to use your phone as a camera.

11. Photography

Kids see the world differently from adults.

Hand one a camera and you’ll find that out quickly.

Photography teaches children to notice light, composition, perspective and details they might otherwise walk right past. Older kids can progress into editing and more advanced digital photography.

The nice part is that they can practice almost anywhere.

The Canoga Park Youth Arts Center is one local program that has offered youth photography.

• Could be a great fit if your child: loves taking pictures, exploring, art or noticing little details.

12. Singing and Voice

Some kids sing constantly but have no interest in joining a band or learning an instrument.

Voice lessons can give them somewhere to put that enthusiasm.

Children can work on pitch, breathing, vocal technique and confidence, while musical-theater programs can combine singing with acting and movement.

• Could be a great fit if your child: sings in the car, sings in the shower, sings while doing homework and occasionally needs to be reminded that other people live in the house.

13. Dance

Yes, dance is physical, but we’re including it because plenty of kids who say they “don’t like sports” love dancing.

There’s no ball, scoreboard or opposing team required.

Kids can explore hip-hop, ballet, jazz, tap, contemporary dance and many other styles. Recreational studios also provide an option for children who want to dance without entering the competitive dance world.

• Could be a great fit if your child: starts moving whenever music comes on but has zero interest in chasing a soccer ball.

14. Sewing and Fashion Design

A child who cares about clothes may be interested in learning how they’re actually made.

Beginner sewing classes can teach hand stitching, machine sewing, patterns and basic construction. More advanced programs can introduce fashion illustration and garment design.

There’s something powerful about a kid wearing or using something they made themselves.

• Could be a great fit if your child: loves clothes, costumes, drawing outfits, crafting or designing things.

15. Creative Writing

Some kids don’t want to perform the story.

They want to write it.

Creative-writing programs give kids permission to invent characters, build worlds, write comics, create poetry or finally put the 47-page fantasy story they’ve been explaining to you into actual words.

For a child who already loves reading, writing can become a natural extension of that interest.

• Could be a great fit if your child: devours books, invents characters, keeps journals or tells extremely detailed stories.

16. Fencing

“But fencing is a sport.”

Technically, yes.

But it’s worth including because it often appeals to kids who don’t connect with traditional team sports.

Fencing is individual, strategic and highly technical. There’s no ball to catch and no need to be the fastest kid on the field. It can feel almost like physical chess.

Los Angeles has dedicated youth fencing instruction, including programs designed to introduce beginners to footwork, technique, strategy and eventually live bouts.

• Could be a great fit if your child: likes strategy, Star Wars, sword fighting, individual competition or trying something none of their friends are doing.

17. Podcasting

Kids have opinions.

Sometimes a remarkable number of them.

Podcasting gives older children a reason to learn interviewing, research, storytelling, audio recording, editing and public speaking.

They could create a show about movies, animals, books, sports, science or whatever subject they can’t stop talking about.

The Canoga Park Youth Arts Center has included podcasting and recording-studio programming among its youth offerings.

• Could be a great fit if your child: loves talking, interviewing people, telling stories or obsessing over one particular subject.

18. Music Production

Learning an instrument isn’t the only way into music anymore.

Kids interested in technology may be more excited about creating beats, recording tracks, experimenting with sound or learning how songs are produced.

It’s a nice example of an activity that sits between music and technology.

The Canoga Park Youth Arts Center has offered music technology, production and recording-studio programs for young people.

• Could be a great fit if your child: loves music and computers but isn’t particularly interested in traditional piano lessons.

19. Science Clubs

Some kids aren’t satisfied with hearing how something works.

They need to try it.

A good science program lets children experiment, build, test and ask questions rather than simply completing another worksheet.

Look for programs built around hands-on experiments, engineering challenges, chemistry, physics, nature or making things.

• Could be a great fit if your child: asks “why?” approximately 75 times per day.

20. LEGO and Maker Classes

For some children, a giant bin of LEGO is essentially an unlimited engineering lab.

Maker classes build on that instinct.

Programs may incorporate LEGO, gears, simple machines, electronics, cardboard construction, woodworking, 3D printing or other materials.

The finished project matters less than the process of figuring out how to make an idea work.

• Could be a great fit if your child: is always building forts, LEGO cities, contraptions or things you have been specifically instructed not to throw away.

21. Anime, Cartooning and Comic Art

A kid who says they “don’t like art class” may spend three hours drawing Pokémon characters.

Pay attention to that distinction.

Traditional drawing isn’t the only doorway into visual art. Anime, cartooning, comics, character design and illustration can be much more exciting for some children.

The Canoga Park Youth Arts Center currently lists Japanese anime among its youth art offerings.

Could be a great fit if your child’s notebooks are filled with characters instead of notes.

22. Improv and Comedy

This can be a wonderful outlet for the kid who is always trying to make everyone laugh.

Improv teaches children to think quickly, listen to other people, build on ideas and become comfortable making mistakes in front of a group.

There’s no script to memorize and no “correct” answer.

For some kids, that’s incredibly freeing.

• Could be a great fit if your child: is funny, outgoing, imaginative or constantly performing for the family.

23. Gardening and Nature Programs

Not every after-school activity needs to happen in a classroom.

Gardening gives children something real to take care of. Nature programs might involve plants, insects, wildlife, conservation, hiking or outdoor exploration.

These can be especially refreshing for a child who has spent most of the day indoors.

• Could be a great fit if your child: loves animals, digging in the dirt, collecting rocks, looking for bugs or being outside.

24. Community Service and Volunteering

As kids get older, an after-school activity doesn’t necessarily have to be a class.

Volunteering can give tweens and teens responsibility and a connection to something outside themselves.

Depending on age requirements, possibilities might include animal organizations, food banks, environmental cleanups, libraries, community gardens and nonprofit organizations.

The key is finding a cause your child actually cares about rather than choosing something solely because it will eventually look good on an application.

• Could be a great fit if your child: loves animals, cares strongly about a cause or wants to feel useful.

25. Let Them Pick Something Weird

This might be our favorite suggestion.

Your kid doesn’t have to choose soccer because everyone plays soccer.

Los Angeles is big enough that somewhere around here, somebody is probably teaching kids how to do the strange thing they’re fascinated by.

Magic.

DJing.

Archery.

Animation.

Fencing.

Sculpture.

Chess.

Fashion design.

Rock climbing.

Songwriting.

Circus arts.

Woodworking.

Pottery.

Game design.

Maybe even something you’ve never heard of.

If your child lights up when they hear about it, investigate it.

That’s the whole point.

What If My Child Quits Everything?

This is where after-school activities can become frustrating for parents.

You find the program.

You rearrange your schedule.

You buy the supplies.

You pay $400.

Three weeks later:

“I don’t want to go anymore.”

Before immediately letting them quit or forcing them through another six months, try to figure out what they actually dislike.

Do they dislike piano, or do they dislike their piano teacher?

Do they dislike theater, or are they nervous because they don’t know anyone?

Is the class too difficult?

Too easy?

Are they exhausted after school?

Did their best friend quit?

Would they rather draw than paint?

Sometimes changing the instructor, schedule or type of program solves the problem.

Other times, they simply don’t like it.

That’s useful information too.

How Many Activities Should a Kid Do?

There isn’t a magic number.

A child doing soccer, piano, robotics, tutoring and theater every week isn’t necessarily getting a richer childhood than a kid who comes home three afternoons a week and builds LEGO.

Watch the child rather than the calendar.

If they’re constantly exhausted, fighting you about every activity and never have time to play, the schedule may be telling you something.

Unstructured time has value.

Kids need opportunities to be bored, make up games, hang out with friends and decide what to do without an adult organizing it for them.

An after-school activity should add something to their week, not consume every available hour of it.

How to Choose an Activity When Your Child Has No Idea

Don’t ask:

“What activity do you want to sign up for?”

That’s a surprisingly difficult question for a 7-year-old.

Give them choices instead.

Would you rather try:

Robotics or cooking? Guitar or theater? Chess or art? Pottery or coding?

Now they have something concrete to react to. If possible, let them watch a class or take a trial lesson before committing. You can also look at what they already do when nobody is telling them what to do.

The child building elaborate Minecraft worlds may enjoy coding or architecture.

The child making bracelets may enjoy jewelry making or fashion design.

The kid organizing neighborhood performances may belong in theater.

The child who memorizes facts about sharks may love marine biology or a nature program.

Their interests are often already giving you clues.

A Quick Guide Based on What Your Kid Already Loves

• If they love LEGO: robotics, engineering, maker classes, coding
• If they love video games: game design, coding, animation, 3D design
• If they love drawing: art, anime, cartooning, fashion design, animation
• If they love stories: creative writing, theater, filmmaking, comics
• If they love music: instruments, voice, songwriting, DJing, music production
• If they love puzzles: chess, coding, robotics, engineering
• If they love making things: ceramics, woodworking, sewing, cooking, maker classes
• If they love performing: theater, improv, voice, dance, filmmaking
• If they love animals: nature programs, horseback riding, animal-related volunteering
• If they love being outside: gardening, hiking programs, nature clubs, environmental programs
• If they love computers: coding, game design, robotics, animation, music production
• If they love talking: theater, debate, podcasting, improv

You aren’t trying to choose their lifelong passion. You’re just trying to find the next thing worth trying.

Don’t Worry About Finding Their “Thing”

There’s a lot of pressure around children’s activities. Parents see a 9-year-old who has been playing violin since age 4 or a 10-year-old traveling across the country for tournaments and wonder whether their own child is falling behind.

They’re probably not. Childhood is one of the few times in life when you’re supposed to try things you’re terrible at. Take six pottery classes. Try chess. Learn three guitar chords. Build a robot that drives directly into a wall. Audition for a play. Decide you hate acting. Try cooking instead. Some activities will stick. Most probably won’t.

But every once in a while, a kid walks into a random class and discovers something they’ll love for years. You can’t really predict which one it’s going to be. You just have to give them opportunities to find it.

More guides for LA parents: 50+ things to do in LA with kids, indoor activities for LA kids and youth sports leagues in LA.

Find Something Your Kid Actually Wants to Do

Los Angeles has thousands of classes, programs, clubs and activities for kids, but they’re scattered across school websites, recreation departments, individual businesses, community organizations and social media pages.

That’s one of the reasons we created AfterschoolSearch.com. Our goal is simple: make it easier for parents to discover what’s available around them. Not just soccer. Not just tutoring. Everything. Because sometimes the right after-school activity isn’t the one you were searching for in the first place.

Explore kids’ activities near you at AfterschoolSearch.com.

Programs, schedules, ages, pricing and availability can change. Always confirm current information directly with the organization before registering.